Inside the Star Dome Cave, Orochimaru slowly lowered the molten, fiery lava underground, and the temperature followed suit.
The tense, life-or-death battle atmosphere that had just filled the air also subsided, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it.
Roshi was forced out of his Tailed Beast form. Looking up at the huge shadow before him, he couldn't help but shiver.
Before he fainted, he had already been through a tough fight, getting beaten badly by Susanoo and Jiraiya. After waking up, he immediately fought desperately again.
Though the spirit of giving his all and fighting with all his might is commendable, the act itself consumes a lot of mental energy.
Ninjas, for the most part, don't live long lives.
If he had won this battle, perhaps with his invigorated spirit, his body could have unleashed its potential again.
But now, he had lost.
Not just his body, but his spirit had also suffered a heavy blow after being defeated by an overwhelming enemy.
For a moment, despite the Jinchuriki's sturdy physique, Roshi felt a chill as he endured the fluctuating temperatures.
Germs floated in the humid air, freely invading the pores of his skin. Roshi, who had lived in the dry northern lands for a long time, seemed somewhat frail.
"This is the gap in our strength and how our abilities counter each other; mere Tailed Beast transformation cannot make up for it."
Orochimaru lowered his head, a familiar smile on his face. "I hope you recognize the difference between us and don't waste your efforts."
"This first time, I can still tolerate it and let you keep your Chakra, giving you a chance to cultivate and grow... If you fail next time, I will find a way to turn you into a vegetable."
He prattled on, still speaking kindly, showing none of the ruthlessness he was rumored to have.
But having his spirit crushed and being put in his place, Roshi understood clearly that this was not a negotiation.
Negotiation is a process of give and take, where both sides compromise.
But Orochimaru had laid all his cards on the table from the start, clearly stating what he wanted, with no intention of compromise.
This wasn't a negotiation; it was a notice, an ultimatum issued right away.
If you listen, fine. If you don't, he would present another, even worse, option.
Roshi suddenly had a moment of realization. The smiling, gentle Orochimaru before him overlapped with the rumored aloof and taciturn Orochimaru. A common trait emerged in his mind—rationality.
Ordinary ninjas, being weak, posed no threat to Orochimaru; he could simply intimidate them into submission without needing to say much. But Roshi was different.
After all, his full-power attack had required Orochimaru to exert himself and use Sage Art to resist.
So, targeting him, Orochimaru used reason and displayed his power, with the aim still being to make him submit without wasting more time.
Orochimaru cared nothing for his image in the eyes of ordinary people; he always approached things realistically, considering the most effective methods.
Once this image became clear in Roshi's mind, he fully believed Orochimaru's threat—the idea of becoming a vegetable.
Because Orochimaru would never abandon his research and care about his daily meals.
He would only expend a little more effort to achieve a permanent solution.
So, should he follow Orochimaru's 'advice'?
Roshi clenched his fists, and suddenly the current scene felt familiar.
Although the reasons were different, and the people present were not the same, this situation of being forced to submit was exactly like it was in Iwagakure.
Back then, he chose to resist Onoki's stubbornness and leave the village, which resulted in his downfall and imprisonment. Now, would he have to make the same choice?
At this thought, a large portion of the pent-up anger in Roshi's heart dissipated.
He should proceed slowly, and plan before acting. First, he needed to understand where he was, or if there was a way to contact his village.
Having made up his mind, Roshi said coldly to Orochimaru, "I admit defeat to you this time, but don't think I will always be defeated. One day, I will find a way to defeat you."
Orochimaru was slightly taken aback and chuckled, "Then I shall look forward to it."
Although he had spoken harsh words, Roshi's demeanor clearly indicated his submission. It was somewhat unexpected to have such a proud, top-tier ninja from a great village bow down so easily.
Orochimaru had expected it to take several "therapy sessions" to correct Roshi's stubborn temper.
Unlike Orochimaru's confusion, the Genie saw something and said with a smile, "Perhaps he found some philosophical theory to support his compromise with himself. Well... if he had learned to console himself earlier, he wouldn't have ended up in this state."
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on this guy. Even if he has an escape plan, after a few thwarted attempts, he'll face reality."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Orochimaru nodded and, dragging his large body, returned to the corner he had been before.
Roshi watched Orochimaru leave directly, his mouth opening, unable to speak for a moment.
Even though he had some understanding of Orochimaru's strength and saw this as a display of confidence, wasn't this kind of neglect excessive?
And what about the fish?
Did he forget to break the seal on him so he could handle the seafood himself?
At this moment, a huge shadow slowly moved to his front. "Lord Roshi, please follow me. I will entertain you on behalf of Orochimaru."
Roshi looked up in surprise. "Salamander... Are you Princess Tsunade's Summoning Beast?"
"That's not entirely accurate. Little Tsunade only summons a part of my body."
The Salamander clone tilted its head and pointed towards the back of the cave. Roshi then saw another much larger figure that made even the Tailed Beasts look small.
"How can it be so... big?"
Roshi's eyes widened. He had thought it was just the cave wall just now. Seemingly realizing something, he suddenly understood.
"Is this the Forest of Inner Calm? Are you the Slug Sage?"
"Your knowledge is impressive." The Salamander clone nodded slightly.
"I will find some sea fish for you next. Please handle them with care yourself; this happens at unpredictable times."
Watching the Slug Sage lead the way into the cave on its own, Roshi hesitated for a moment before following.
He had a premonition that unless the ninja world situation changed, he would likely be staying in the Forest of Inner Calm for a long time.
The disappearance of a Jinchuriki would undoubtedly be a major event for the ninja village. He wondered how that old man Onoki would handle it.
…
Just like the cooling atmosphere in the Forest of Inner Calm, the news of Roshi's attack in Iwagakure caused a stir in the ninja world for several days, but the excitement gradually died down. Only a few interested parties still paid attention.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, chose to handle it quietly.
Since he was certain he couldn't rescue Roshi and couldn't send troops against Konoha or the Kusagakure Ninja Alliance, low-profile action was the best approach.
While Iwagakure quieted down, the Kusagakure Ninja Alliance's actions against Konoha were in full swing, announcing a series of sanctions.
The two most crucial measures were: first, setting up checkpoints to restrict all merchant caravans traveling to or from the Land of Fire; and second, prohibiting Konoha ninjas from entering the territories belonging to the Kusagakure Ninja Alliance, or it would be considered an invasion.
These two measures significantly impacted Konoha's economic sources. Konoha naturally did not accept this and stationed a large number of troops at the border, still insisting on engaging in mercenary and other commercial activities.
However, with White Zetsu clones acting as eyes, the Kusagakure Ninja's reconnaissance capabilities were a complete advantage.
While the Hyuga clan's Byakugan had a superior detection range, the White Zetsu clones were more numerous and had longer sustained capabilities, almost completely monitoring the Kusagakure Ninja Alliance's area with no blind spots. Anyone entering would be detected.
Not to mention, they were quite cunning.
When they detected a Konoha team, the White Zetsu clones would actively retreat, leaving a portion of the visual area, and then summon reinforcements to help eliminate the black dots on the map.
After several encounters, Konoha, convinced they had no advantage in terms of visual intelligence, changed their combat approach.
First, they had the sealing squad improve storage scrolls, reducing the difficulty and cost of transporting items.
Second, they began sending decoy teams, including members of the Hyuga clan, to probe, lure, and entangle them... taking advantage of the Kusagakure Ninja's shortage of personnel and making them run ragged.
Additionally, they stopped operating in four-person teams and started cooperating in multi-team escorts.
Although this increased transportation costs, it greatly improved the success rate of missions. They managed to establish two merchant routes to the Land of Earth and the Land of Thunder in the weakest areas of the Kusagakure Ninja forces, namely Takigakure Village and the Village of the Hot Water country.
Of course, this was nothing to brag about. The Kusagakure Ninja only deployed a few times, yet Konoha's normal commercial activities became extremely difficult, and they almost completely solved the problem of outsourced mercenary tasks. They could be said to have won overwhelmingly.
Konoha ninja teams were completely passive. When traveling within the territory of Kusagakure ninja forces, they constantly had to worry about harassment.
The 'Enlightenment' within the Box of Ultimate Bliss was a monster that most Jonin could not resist. A mere brush would result in serious injury or death.
In the past year and a half, only three attacks resulted in significant casualties for Konoha ninjas. If not for Jiraiya stationed at the border of the Land of Fire, providing timely support, these two merchant routes might have been destroyed.
However, even so, the ninja teams escorting merchants endured considerable mental pressure.
Under these circumstances, Konoha ninja teams led by Mifune, former samurai of the Land of Iron, began to stand out.
These individuals were not particularly strong; they were on par with ordinary Chunin and Jonin. However, after undergoing cell and gene fusion surgery using White Zetsu's lineage, they were truly durable.
Some fatal injuries that would have killed ordinary ninjas could be survived by them if treated promptly.
This special physique made Konoha ninjas envious, and somewhat angry. Although this surgery was developed by the Konoha Sannin, it was "outsiders" who enjoyed its benefits first.
— Of course, saying this now would be considered incorrect by the village, but many Konoha ninjas couldn't help but think so in their hearts.
So, where was Orochimaru, one of the 'Sannin', during this time?
Rumor had it that he was severely injured in a siege in Takigakure Village while trying to gather intelligence on the Kusagakure Ninja. But more than a year had passed, and he still hadn't appeared. Some rumors of his defeat and death began to spread.
Although the village immediately denied these rumors, they couldn't stop private discussions.
With the constant fear during missions and the envy towards the samurai's robust bodies, Orochimaru, who developed the physique enhancement surgery, remained a topic of discussion.
Although most of the discussions were controversial, overall, it was a good thing.
The attack on the Four-Tails Jinchuriki Roshi, which happened around the same time as Orochimaru's disappearance, is now hardly paid attention to even by Iwagakure.
After all, being powerful alone only makes one a high-level thug. During peacetime, only those who care about grand narratives will stay focused on such matters.
Most people are more concerned about things closer to home, such as when Orochimaru will return, or when they can use low-risk surgeries.
…
Forest of Inner Calm.
Roshi, whom few people remembered, was sitting cross-legged in a corner of the cave.
His clear black and white eyes stared forward. He placed his hands on the ground, channeling Chakra. A crack appeared in the ground, and lava fire erupted, casting a red glow on the makeshift stove built from stones.
Yes, he was making a fire.
The heat from the lava baked the stone pot through the stove. A thick layer of oil smeared on it released a fresh aroma as it heated up.
Roshi sniffed, placed the pre-cut fish pieces on it, and waited. He flipped the fish repeatedly until the large piece was completely cooked.
"Slug Sage, this is for you."
Roshi used a stone skewer to pick up a piece of fish and placed it in front of a slug the size of a small dog. He then repeated the previous steps, and soon, another portion was ready.
Roshi grabbed a stone skewer and took a big bite of the fish, ignoring the heat. "Hoo..."
Blowing on it, he swallowed the tender fish, his eyes narrowing slightly in enjoyment.
— Making the best of a bad situation.
Going out of the Forest of Inner Calm was forbidden, and the resources were scarce. There wasn't even the most basic salt. While there was no shortage of meat and fish, their taste was just so-so.
Roshi was just a ninja, not a transcender; he didn't have many "life skills" in his head. At most, he could boil seawater to get some crude salt.
However, even so, after living in the Forest of Inner Calm for over a year, Roshi had figured out some tricks through experience.
For example, the fish he was eating now, Roshi couldn't even name. All he knew was that this type of sea fish was different from others; when pan-fried or roasted, it had a slightly spicy flavor.
In this dark Forest of Inner Calm, it was a rare pleasure.
Uh... okay, it did sound a bit miserable, but who was he comparing it to?
After eating his fill, Roshi looked into another corner of the cave by the light of a gem.
There, Orochimaru sat with his head bowed, still engaged in some unknown research. Beside him were giant skeletons and somewhat foul-smelling fish.
Putting aside whether he could digest it, just the smell was unbearable for ordinary people, yet Orochimaru had been eating it for over a year.
While finding some sense of superiority in his food, on the other hand, he also admired Orochimaru.
Having witnessed such terrifying focus, Roshi knew his defeat was not unjust.
As he was thinking, the giant black shadow, dragging its serpentine tail, approached him.
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